ANIMAL TOTEMS: "None are More Powerful than Others" by Arvel Bird

Arvel has spent a lifetime studying the characteristics and messages of animals and calls on their spirits daily to give him guidance, to give him a higher view of a situation and sometimes just to remind him that life is supposed to be fun. In Discovering the Sacred Power of Animal Totems, Arvel shares some of his private thoughts about the animals that he has come to love and respect as co-denizens of Planet Earth. These lessons learned through study and through his own life experiences are offered to you in the hopes you will find peace in your life walk.

There are no animals, insects, or mammals that are more powerful than any others because just as human beings, they are ALL created equal. Some of the ones we have fun with are:

Bat – Yes, the noble bat. Most of us would run screaming from a cave or room where a bat is flying free, but you don’t have to “pet” the bat or otherwise physically engage it, just tap into its energy, it’s vibration. Ah, yes, that’s the word I’m looking for . . . vibration. Bat symbolizes vibration, tapping into the frequencies of anything you desire.

What is it you want? It’s easier to determine what you don’t want, isn’t it. “I hate being late, rude clerks, I don’t want to be broke.” What you do want and what you want to focus on is “I love how everything flows in perfect time, I appreciate all the kind and considerate clerks I encounter when I shop, I enjoy having everything I need when I need it.”

So, what does Bat have to do with that? Bat teaches us how to focus on what we want. Frankly, you can focus on what you want or what you don’t want, but it’s the focus of it that brings it to us. Bat has sharp, precise frequencies it emits to identify it’s surroundings. She teaches us to “focus our frequencies” like a laser. There is no more power than the power of your own mind to focus.

One of my favorite insects is Spider. If you’ve ever watched while a Spider weaves her web, in addition to being extremely efficient with her energy and time, she seemingly creates a web out of NOTHING. She encourages and facilitates your innate creativity. She uses only what is needed, she weaves webs strong enough to lay her eggs, to catch prey and catches what it wants to catch allowing the wind to “sift” through. Not surprising that a “dream catcher” is fashioned after Spider’s Web.

Another interesting totem is Skunk – the skunk is (notwithstanding it’s unique, er, uh, “scent”) a very powerful totem. Would you say you “respect” Skunk? Yeah, that’s a good wrod for it, right? But that respect might be because Skunk demands respects and also gives it just as powerfully. This teaches us to respect others, and expect others to respect us. Recognize your own qualities and push those to the forefront so that others can see easily see them.

Even though Skunks are fearless, they are peaceful. If you are attracted to Skunk (not necessarily due to his odoriferous [is that a word???] qualities) you might want to learn how fragrances can elicit dynamic responses in the people around you. You can also learn to balance the ability to draw and repel people or you could think of it as a time to be with people and a time for solitude.

For some reason Grasshopper comes to my mind right now. It’s medicine indicates new leaps forward in life are possible. He’s telling us to be bold and move with pride and with great movement. I guess that means I’m supposed to work in some new moves on stage! Okay, back to the totems . . . If you have trouble trusting your own instincts, maybe the spirit of grasshopper can help you. Look for something that symbolizes or causes you to think of grasshopper. A photo, a piece of jewelry, anything to help you focus on this powerful being.

Listening to our inner voice is one of the toughest things to do. Many people seem to think only religious leaders or “special people”, receive messages from the beyond or from a higher power; but our own higher power is the ONLY inner voice we SHOULD listen to . . . every time, NO exceptions. It will NEVER steer us wrong.